How low on fuel do you let your car get before refuelling?

[Islineclear3_1]

I fill up when I need to; usually once a week. Somewhere between 1/4 tank and when the fuel light comes on

 

[dgl]

I suppose a lot of the difference in what level you'll let the fuel get to is related to where the nearest petrol station is, I can see ours from outside our flat and walking it's about 7 mins away at most, I've certainly had to run over there to pay for fuel when my sisters card didn't work before and being so close meant it was not an issue.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Island life makes it different for me. The fuel boat usually comes every fortnight or so, and prices will change based on the wholesale price of that delivery.

When prices are going up I’ll brim the car just before the delivery comes in and keep it brimmed until prices increase. If prices are going in the other direction I’ll be driving round on the sniff of an oily rag until the cheaper boatload comes in. 5p or 6p a litre fluctuations aren’t uncommon with the way things are now, so it’s worth thinking about.

 

[33056]

I always keep an eye on fuel prices and generally start looking around for a good price once the gauge gets down to about half a tank then, when I do get fuel, usually fill the tank right up

It does help that there are four garages within a short walk from the house but I usually manage to get fuel without resorting to one of those (unless they are a good price) and it also helps that I don't use the car a great deal and can usually plan where to get fuel depending on where we are going. For example, I know there is around 350 miles left in the tank (according to the car) which should see us through to next week when we have a trip to an area where fuel is generally cheaper than at home so we will fill up there.

I would hope that this would last us for the rest of the month but we may be forced into using the car rather than take the train for a rather lengthy trip the week after that due to strikes.

 

[Cowley]

I suppose a lot of the difference in what level you'll let the fuel get to is related to where the nearest petrol station is, I can see ours from outside our flat and walking it's about 7 mins away at most, I've certainly had to run over there to pay for fuel when my sisters card didn't work before and being so close meant it was not an issue.

That’s definitely how it is for me @dgl. Ours is a three minute drive away and it’s also the nearest handy shop.

 

[Flange Squeal]

My car’s fuel gauge is split into 8 vertical chunks, with the bottom one slightly different and I think intended to imply reserve/danger. I usually look to fill up when I get to - or close to - that, so I guess somewhere between 1/8 and 1/4. If I know I have a particularly long journey, or lots of driving beyond just the daily commute, coming up though, then I might look to fill up earlier so I have a full (or near full) tank ready for that.

 

[Dave W]

My hybrid typically does around 50MPG around town and for mixed driving. Around 55 to 60MPG when cruising on motorways at between 60MPH and 70MPH. Similar or slightly better at 50MPH to 60MPH on good A roads.

Interesting. I wonder if I'm driving it right! Mine has a "B" function which maximises the charge by simulating "engine braking" and regenerating the power, which I use in town; I see no reason why I couldn't use it on the motorway other than the undesirable effect of slowing the car down when coasting, e.g. on a down hill section. I haven't noticed too much MPG difference between that and "D" in towns, although it has made me reassess how I drive - despite striving for efficiency I used to chuck my petrol car around; trying to avoid the engine starting has made me a lot more cautious, only a good thing I suppose!

 

[StoneRoad]

Always fill up at the start / end of a long journey - usually taking advantage of "supermarket" prices.

During normal driving, probably somewhere between 1/4 and the fuel light going on.
If I'm not going far - just local journeys - I will patronise our local filling station, even though it is a little more expensive.
[It's not a garage, although they have a nearby by branch that does MOTs / tyres].

When I used to a 80 mile daily commute, I tended to push things to be able to fill up "in town" as often as possible.
I did a bit of a detour for price checking reasons and discovered an out-of-the-way place that had good "discounts" mid-week, which changed my fill-up pattern from Mondays or Fridays.

I deliberately try and avoid main road / high price places, such as motorway services - they gouge as a matter of course.
[I'll drive off the motorway for an alternative !]

Also, I have aged motorbikes that require non-modern mix fuels ...

 

[66701GBRF]

1/3 of a tank and its on my radar to keep an eye on. 1/4 of a tank I look to fill up. Usually to about 3/4 unless I've just been paid or depending on how much commuting I am doing that week.

 

[Annetts key]

Interesting. I wonder if I'm driving it right! Mine has a "B" function which maximises the charge by simulating "engine braking" and regenerating the power, which I use in town; I see no reason why I couldn't use it on the motorway other than the undesirable effect of slowing the car down when coasting, e.g. on a down hill section. I haven't noticed too much MPG difference between that and "D" in towns, although it has made me reassess how I drive - despite striving for efficiency I used to chuck my petrol car around; trying to avoid the engine starting has made me a lot more cautious, only a good thing I suppose!

I only normally use ‘B’ ‘gear’ when descending steep hills (not normally on gentle slopes though). With mine, lifting off the accelerator pedal results in the car using it’s regenerative braking to simulate the way that a ICE car slows if you lift off.

If in cruse control, it will also use regenerative braking to try to limit the speed when going downhill (although you do have to use the brakes on steeper hills).

I also almost always stay in eco mode, and try to control myself to accelerate slowly, and keep enough distance to the vehicle in front, so that I don’t need to brake (just lift off), or brake gently (hence the car using regenerative braking).

The motorway and good A round MPG figures I gave above assume you have a clear road and are maintaining a (more or less) constant speed, such as being in cruse control. If the road is busy, or there are other reasons that disrupt traffic (junctions, road works), that can significantly change the results.

If I drive like a boy racer, the MPG drops to around 43 to 47 MPG…

 

[ExRes]

I know how many miles I can get out of the tank so I drive on that basis not on the fuel indicator, it's not likely that I'll ever risk going over 400 miles though

 

[class68fan]

Normal trip its 80 mile return. So at around 160 mile left whichever end is cheeper I fill up.

 

[PeterY]

I don't drive a lot and I drive an old Suzuki Alto. I tend to refill once it gets just before the half mark. It proved very handy when petrol was in short supply during the pandemic.

 

[Annetts key]

I’m what way was petrol or diesel in short supply during the pandemic?

I never had any problems either with filling my own car or the company vehicles.

 

[Russel]

Usually fill up when the light comes on, the car usually states I have a range of 50 miles left.

The range is almost certainly wrong though, when I fill the tank to the brim, the display states I have a 189 mile range, which did panic me slightly the first time I filled it up, yet a full tank of fuel usually gets me around 350 miles with ease.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Usually about 30 miles left so less than 10%

 

[Bald Rick]

I

I’m what way was petrol or diesel in short supply during the pandemic?

I never had any problems either with filling my own car or the company vehicles.

it was very much a problem in Sept ‘21. It may not have been a problem where you are, but it was for much of the country.

2021 United Kingdom fuel supply crisis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The 2021 United Kingdom fuel supply crisis was a period of a few weeks in which petrol stations in some parts of the UK ran out of fuel.

In September 2021, almost 21 years since the last fuel crisis, which took place in September 2000, panic buying of fuel was reported to be caused by media reports of a leaked government briefing discussing the shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers. Some analysts and politicians linked the driver shortage to Brexit, whilst others blamed the COVID-19 pandemic, or their combined impact. Although the UK did not have a shortage of fuel, the panic buying of fuel combined with supply chain issues caused by the media and the HGV driver shortage led to many petrol stations running out of fuel.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I


it was very much a problem in Sept ‘21. It may not have been a problem where you are, but it was for much of the country.

2021 United Kingdom fuel supply crisis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I remember that. My local petrol station was without petrol (E5 "super unleaded" and/or E10 "standard unleaded" ) some days and diesel other days. In fact because my Vectra cant use E10 I was finding that petrol stations that had petrol were not bothering with E5 !.

 

[Annetts key]

it was very much a problem in Sept ‘21. It may not have been a problem where you are, but it was for much of the country.

2021 United Kingdom fuel supply crisis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Ahh, that, no, where I am, there are plenty of fuel stations, and we are not too far away from a main distribution point. Hence why I never noticed any problems, and put the news reports down as just being ‘local’ issues.

 

[Bald Rick]

Ahh, that, no, where I am, there are plenty of fuel stations, and we are not too far away from a main distribution point. Hence why I never noticed any problems, and put the news reports down as just being ‘local’ issues.

I have 3 petrol stations within walking distance, and am 5-6 miles from the main distribution depot, and there was none available for over a week, and intermittent supply for over a month.

 

[Peter Sarf]

I have 3 petrol stations within walking distance, and am 5-6 miles from the main distribution depot, and there was none available for over a week, and intermittent supply for over a month.

Yep. Croydon was bad. I just postponed all car use, luckily nothing essential. I do think a lot of it was panic buying as my local petrol station said they were cleaned out just after a larger than normal delivery.

 

[alxndr]

Ahh, that, no, where I am, there are plenty of fuel stations, and we are not too far away from a main distribution point. Hence why I never noticed any problems, and put the news reports down as just being ‘local’ issues.

I don't know exactly where you are, but I think at that time I lived within an hour of you and we had problems. Not as bad as some parts of the country had, but there were definite problems.

Back on the topic, a couple of days ago my car got down to an estimate of 25 miles remaining after having to do an unexpected journey and it was so nerve-wracking that I'll never do that again. I don't know how so many people on this thread can do it on a regular basis!

 

[DelayRepay]

With elderly parents living over 200 miles away, for peace of mind I now keep enough in the tank to be able to complete the journey without needing to stop en route, just in case. The fuel crisis was a bit of a wake-up call coinciding with my dad having an emergency admission to hospital. In many ways it would be easier to hop on a train but sadly both reliability and pricing are not what they were pre-pandemic

I do the same, for the same reason. I normally fill up at half a tank. It's not a big hassle. When I used to do a lot more miles for work, I filled up every week when I did my supermarket shop. I'd start to feel nervous if I went below a quarter tank.

 

[AlterEgo]

If I’m stopping at a petrol station to get a coffee or go for a pee I’ll fill up. It’s rare for it to get anywhere below a quarter.

 

[Egg Centric]

I can use an entire tank of fuel between M25 and Durham so always before that journey and ones of similar length. You're also supposed to put 98 RON in my car which restricts me to certain places (Tesco, Esso, Shell, Gulf) afaik. Similarly on a cross country journey in Africa I refuel at every single opportunity.

Generally though just waiting for the warning light gives plenty of time.

Never don't fill to brim don't see point.

 

[Annetts key]

If I’m stopping at a petrol station to get a coffee or go for a pee I’ll fill up.

It’s not recommended to pee in the filler pipe!

 

[RailWonderer]

I don't know exactly where you are, but I think at that time I lived within an hour of you and we had problems. Not as bad as some parts of the country had, but there were definite problems.

Back on the topic, a couple of days ago my car got down to an estimate of 25 miles remaining after having to do an unexpected journey and it was so nerve-wracking that I'll never do that again. I don't know how so many people on this thread can do it on a regular basis!

If you are always doing the same trips, you know your car well and you know the level of traffic then you know when you car needs a refill so can go very low to fumes. Otherwise at a quarter you start to look for stations. Of course that doesn't prepare you for unexpected trips needed but some drivers like to see how low they can go.

 

[Bald Rick]

If you are always doing the same trips, you know your car well and you know the level of traffic then you know when you car needs a refill so can go very low to fumes.

Quite - when I drive to Scotland I know I can get to Tescos in Perth on a tank, but if I’m heading to the west highlands I tend to stop at Lesmahagow, which gives me enough to get to the West Highlands, pootle around there, and back to Carlisle Tescos (which is always cheap).

 

[johncrossley]

There are plenty of Tesco petrol stations with pay at pump within easy reach of motorway junctions. For example, M4 J3, M25 J9 and M42 J4. Milton Keyes Kingston centre is convenient enough for the M1 as the route between J13 and J14 via Tesco is on fast roads. There is an Asda pay at pump next to M40 J4 and M6 J44. Around Manchester there are Tesco petrol stations next to the M60 at Stockport and Prestwich. So I just fill up when I approach a supermarket petrol station near the motorway when less than 50% full.

 

[Bletchleyite]

There are plenty of Tesco petrol stations with pay at pump within easy reach of motorway junctions. For example, M4 J3, M25 J9 and M42 J4. Milton Keyes Kingston centre is convenient enough for the M1 as the route between J13 and J14 via Tesco is on fast roads. There is an Asda pay at pump next to M40 J4 and M6 J44. Around Manchester there are Tesco petrol stations next to the M60 at Stockport and Prestwich. So I just fill up when I approach a supermarket petrol station near the motorway when less than 50% full.

If not in a hurry, satnav is very handy for locating a nearby major supermarket, which generally have the same facilities a service station does but at half the price. Assuming of course you have a passenger or voice-activation.